Quest for Sanctuary: Staff of Athena
by trichloroethane
Summary: When Athena's Staff is stolen, Seiya, who dreams of becoming a Saint, sets off to find it. Based on 'Quest for Camelot'. AU, shounenai.
1. Chapter 1

**Quest for Sanctuary: Staff of Athena**

Disclaimer: Saint Seiya belongs to Kurumada-sensei. 'Quest for Camelot' belongs to Warner Brothers.

Warnings: AU, fluff and sap abound, language, probably OOC, oh, and shounen-ai. No likey, no read. Simple, no?

A/N: I recently re-watched 'Quest for Camelot', and whilst the critics may be right for calling the plot somewhat 'undeveloped' and 'shallow', I personally think it was well made (although of course, since I was ten when I watched it, I was well in the target audience). In any case, I just thought this would be a good way to start off writing for Saint Seiya. Enjoy!

PS Some things in the movie have to be seen to be understood, so unfortunately I've cut out most of the 'humorous' bits.

* * *

Seiya grinned proudly atop his pony as he and his parents went down to the seaside, waiting for the summons. "Come on!" He yelled impatiently. Looking back at his father, he sat up straighter and pretended that he too was like his father, a Saint of Athena.

They soon arrived on the sandy coast, stopping atop a small hill. Jumping off his mount, Leo Aiolia first gently helped his wife down, and then went to Seiya. The boy leapt off his pony, throwing himself at his father and causing them both to roll down the hill. The brown haired boy laughed happily up at the sky as he lay in the sand, but soon he turned sad and looked at his father. "Father, do you really have to go?" He asked.

"I'm afraid I must," Aiolia gently answered. "You know that Athena's Saints will be here soon."

Seiya pondered for a while and then rolled onto his stomach. "Okay!" He cheerfully said. "But you have to tell me why you became a Saint again!"

"Seiya!" Marin laughingly chided him. "You've heard that story hundreds of times!"

Aiolia laughed. "It's fine," he told his wife. "It's a good story, isn't it Seiya?" The boy giggled and nodded, eagerly waiting for his story. "Well, my son, long before you were born, the world was in chaos. Fathers fought their sons; brother turned against brother. The only hope for peace lay in the legend of Athena's Staff, embedded in a holy altar in the centre of Sanctuary. It was said that the one who could pull the staff from the altar would be the true reincarnation of Athena, and she would unite the people. Many tried; all failed. And then, Seiya, when you were just three months old, an unlikely candidate stepped forward. It was Saori Kido, whom everyone thought was nothing more than a princess in an ivory tower. It was she who pulled the staff from the altar, and she brought peace to the land. With the power of Athena's Staff, she reunited the people once more." With pride in his voice, Aiolia continued his tale. "We built the greatest kingdom on earth. Everyone rejoiced." Awed into silence, Seiya imagined all the people celebrating the return of peace. He imagined them dancing and singing, a whirl of colour and song.

"Sanctuary…" Seiya laughed as he danced around in wild circles on the sand, imagining himself to be one of the people rejoicing that great day. Worn out, he fell down once more, laughing breathlessly. Aiolia smiled and showed Seiya the large box on his back which housed the Leo Cloth. "And these Cloths, 88 of them, were made to show our enduring loyalty to Athena and Sanctuary."

Seiya jumped up and ran to his mother, hugging her tightly. "Look!" He pointedly excitedly. "It's the Saints!" In the distance, they could see the Saints, some wearing Cloths of Silver, others of many different colours. The family mounted their horses once more, and rode out to meet the party.

"I must go now, Seiya," Aiolia said, patting his son's head. "Athena has summoned us all for a special meeting in Sanctuary." With a quick kiss to his wife's lips and a whispered farewell to his son, the Gold Saint quickly joined the party of Saints.

Seiya rode after his father, eagerness shining in his eyes. "I'm coming with you, Father!" He happily squealed. Aiolia turned to look back, his blue eyes smiling.

"Yes, Seiya. When you're older. I promise I will take you to Sanctuary with me when you're older."

Seiya stopped and watched his father ride away. "One day, I'll be just like my father, and I'll be a real Saint!" He told Marin, who smiled and leaned down to gently stroke her son's hair.

"I'm sure you will," she told Seiya.

Aiolia quickly raced in front of the group. "Let's go!" He told them.

It was only a few hours' ride to the castle. As the Saints proudly entered the gates of Sanctuary, the crowds cheered and ran to greet them. Some of the Saints leaned down to shake a person's hand here, or waved at the crowds. Standing on the steps of the castle that was Sanctuary, Saori Kido, also known as Athena, raised her staff in greeting, accompanied by her advisor Kanon.

They entered the grand hall of the Gold Saints, where a round table with thirteen seats stood. Athena took her place, with the others following. Aiolia looked around and smiled, glad to see all his comrades together once more. There was Sagittarius Aiolos, his brother, Aries Mu, Taurus Aldebaran, Aquarius Camus, Scorpio Milo…yes, they were all present. Aiolia frowned slightly at the sight of Gemini Saga, known for his infamous temper and frightening mood swings, but he said nothing.

"My friends," Athena stood. "I am glad to see you here—"

"How touching." Saga sardonically interrupted. "But let's not stand on ceremony. Tell me; what is to be my reward?" Athena sighed.

"Gemini Saga-always thinking of yourself. Is not the reward of having kept peace and helped others enough reward? As Gold Saints, we are bound to uphold honour and virtue." The knight leaned forward, disdain written on his sharp features.

"Pah, doing good deeds, a reward? If I helped every person who wished for my aid, I would not have a roof over my head, or lands to cultivate! It is money that—"

"Silence!" Aiolia roared, unable to tolerate the disrespectful way in which Saga was behaving. "You shall not speak to Athena like that!"

Saga sneered and pointedly ignored Aiolia. "I have supported you for all these years and for what? For charity?"

"Athena has spoken!" Snarled Aiolia.

"Perhaps it's time we have a little…change…then," Saga growled. Rising to his feet, he leaned across the table. "I say we have a _god_ instead of a goddess! Let us not trifle with Athena any more! Let us have a ruler, a king!"

"Oh, and I suppose that'd be you?" Scorpio Milo wryly asked. For all his cool demeanour, it was clear that he was ready to attack.

"I will not serve a self-appointed king!" Aiolia shouted, also rising to his feet.

"Better than serving a dead goddess!" Saga snarled. The Gemini Saint suddenly pulled a heavy mace out from under the table and jumped up, racing across to where Saori sat. The hall immediately erupted, all the Saints jumping to their feet and rushing to the defense of their goddess. Aiolia rushed towards Saga, his arm outstretched with the beginnings of a Lightning Fist already sparking. However, Saga was faster and the blue-haired Saint dealt him a mighty blow to the head, shattering the Leo Saint's headpiece and crushing his head at the same time. Other Saints went for the Gemini, but none of them could do anything. The other soon reached Saori, who quickly held the Staff in front of her. A golden light surrounded the two and Saga was thrown back, his face twisted in a snarl of fury. Athena stood, holding the Staff.

"One day, Athena's Staff will be mine!" Saga snarled. He then turned and ran, avoiding the attacks that the other Saints sent at him. "This entire land will be mine!"

The Gold Saints quickly turned to Aiolia, who was lying very still on the floor, a pool of blood around his head. Aiolos was cradling his brother's body in his arms, desperately asking if he was all right.

"Aiolia," Libra Dohko gently called. "Aiolos, is he all right?" The tears on the Sagittarius Saint's face told the other everything he needed to know.

**Seiya:**

The house and ground was covered with white snow, steam coming out with every breath the brown-eyed boy took. He pulled his arm back, ready to thrust at his opponent with a makeshift lance. "Ha!" He shouted triumphantly as the pony raced forward and he neatly stabbed the snowman. Marin was sweeping the threshold, fondly watching her son.

Seiya suddenly saw movement in the distance. "Huh?" He heard a horse neigh, and realized that his father must be coming home! "Mother!" He called. "Listen! It's Father!" His game forgotten, he jumped off the pony and ran towards the slowly approaching party. The Saints on their horses rode past him, some looking at him with pity in their eyes. Seiya didn't understand. Where was his father?

At the end of the party, Seiya saw a Bronze Saint, leading a bull which was pulling a large wooden contraption. On it lay his father's body. Unable to believe his eyes, Seiya could only stand there. "No…" he whispered into the cold, wintry day. Around him, the snow fell peacefully.

They buried Aiolia on a ridge, erecting a large stone monument to his memory. Athena walked towards Marin, presenting her with the Leo Cloth. "Leo Aiolia was a brave and loyal man," she softly said, sorrow written on her features. "He died saving…saving my life. Lady Marin," she continued, regardless of the tears streaming down her face, "the gates of Sanctuary will always be open to you and your family." Next to his mother stood Seiya, his eyes welling up with tears. "Leo Aiolia was a close friend, and one of my most trusted Saints. He will always be remembered for his ideals, and the joy he brought to life, and his courage in the face of danger." She raised her Staff, whilst the Saints bowed their heads. "To Leo Aiolia." A bright bolt of golden light soared into the air and Seiya ran to his pony, unable to bear the sorrow anymore. He sobbed into the animal's thick mane, unable to rid his mind of the image of the coffin before they put it into the ground.

Years passed, and Seiya grew into a strong young man. However, he never forgot his dream of becoming a Saint, and was prone to daydream whilst doing the chores. As a result, Marin often became exasperated with him, but she could only smile in the face of his sheepishness and at the sight of him covered in muck from the animals after having fallen in the pigsty after yet another attempt to leap from one end of the sty to the other.

**Sanctuary:**

Athena stood in front of her Saints, who were all seated around the table. Aiolia's place was still empty, and she spared a sad glance towards it. "In the ten years since Leo Aiolia's death, equality and peace have spread throughout the land. Athena's Staff has given us the power to bring life to this land once more!" The Saints applauded, but Athena held her hand up for silence. "Sanctuary has prospered beyond our wildest—"

She was interrupted by the thunderous crash as the ceiling caved in, spilling wood and stone on all those below. A griffin swooped down, screeching wildly, the draught from its wings extinguishing the torches on the walls. The Saints looked around in confusion, readying their attacks.

The creature came to rest in front of Athena, who slowly moved backwards. "A griffin," Aries Mu whispered in shock. Athena kept her eyes on the animal as it leaned forward, watching her with eerie glowing green eyes. She slowly moved her hand back, searching for the Staff. Just as she was about to grasp it, the griffin leaned forward and savagely bit her hand, causing her to cry out in pain. It triumphantly flew into the sky, holding the slender golden Staff in its beak. As though they had been unfrozen, the Saints moved in, many aiming at the griffin but fearing to accidentally hit the Staff lest it should break. Capricorn Shura and Taurus Aldebaran rushed to their goddess' side, supporting her even as she tried to shake them off. "Never mind me-please retrieve the Staff!" She cried. Even as Mu tried to gather his wits enough to use a Stardust Revolution, the griffin had already flown well out of his range, leaving a trail of chaos behind.

"Spread the word!" Shaina hollered. "Athena's Staff has been stolen!" Unicorn Jabu raced to the large bugle used to alert the lands of any events at Sanctuary even as Saints, Bronze, Silver and Gold alike, raced out of the now-lowered castle to track the griffin down. Amongst the chaos, Kanon stepped forward into the night air. "Silverwings!" He cried. "Protect the Staff!"

As the griffin flew over the Enchanted Forest, a falcon came out of nowhere and began attacking. Its sharp cries pierced the night air as it flew towards the griffin and began savagely pecking at its eyes. The larger animal screeched in pain, dropping the Staff into the thick forest even as it tried to avoid the falcon's attacks. Torn between the desire to go after the smaller bird and to retrieve the Staff, the griffin finally dived towards the spot where its prize had fallen. As though they sensed an intruder, the entire forest suddenly became a writhing mass of thorns and hard, sharp branches, reaching out to entangle the stranger. It was only through sheer luck that the gigantic creature managed to get away, but it realized that it could no longer find the Staff without entering the forest. Thwarted, it screeched angrily even as the falcon gave a cry of triumph. The griffin was soon forced to fly away without the Staff, and the smaller bird flew downwards into the forest, disappearing under the thick green canopy.

The bugle sounded through the peaceful dawn air, carrying through the whole land. A man looked up at the sound of the horn, his eyes troubled. Beside him, his wife stood up. "Is that…?"

"Yes." The man turned to her. "Athena's Staff has been stolen!"

The news spread like wildfire throughout the land, causing some to fear for their hard-won peace, and others to immediately pack their belongings and head out to search for the fabled object.

Seiya turned at the sound of the bugle, horror written in his features. Dropping the bucket of chicken-feed, he rushed to tell his mother the news. "Athena's Staff has been stolen! I must go to find it!" He cried.

Marin looked up from where she was sewing a new tunic for him. "No! Absolutely not!" Her tone brooked no nonsense.

"But Mother, I must go after it!"

"That's a task for the Saints, Seiya. Leave it to them." Seeing that Seiya had returned, Marin and the seamstress moved down, surrounding Seiya and forcing the piece of clothing over his head. "Hold still now," Marin cautioned, holding a pin in her hand. "You're outgrowing your other tunics…"

"I don't want a new tunic!" Seiya burst out. "I want to go find Athena's Staff! I want to go on grand adventures, fighting evil, rescuing damsels in distress…I want to fight for Sanctuary!"

"Seiya!" His mother admonished him. "The Saints will find Athena's Staff, and they'll do it by working together!"

Seiya scowled. "So? I'm working here. I'm helping out on the farm, feeding the horses, collecting eggs from the chickens…boring!" He rushed up to his room in a sulk. Marin sighed and looked at the box which housed Aiolia's unused Cloth. _What would you do, Aiolia? _She sadly thought. She wanted so much to protect Seiya, but he didn't want to be protected. Why couldn't he see that everything was for him?

Seiya returned to feeding the chickens. As he approached the henhouse, he noticed that one of the roosters had gotten in again, and was proceeding to show off as roosters were wont to do. The hens were all clucking with approval until the 'mother of the coop' came over and hauled the other bird out in a flurry of feathers. Seiya neatly ducked as the creature flew out and sighed. "How am I ever going to do great things if I'm stuck here?" He asked the sky. "These idiot chickens…" he muttered as he continued gathering the eggs. Suddenly, a shadow blocked the doorway and Seiya turned. His eyes widened in shock and he dropped the egg, yolk and liquid splattering on the coop floor.

Marin was standing at the table, talking to her staff when suddenly flaming arrows shot through the windows, burying themselves in the sturdy wooden table and leaving tendrils of fire to curl and smoke on the floor. The door burst open and soon the entire household found themselves surrounded by villainous looking mercenaries, all of whom carried dangerous weapons. "Knock knock," someone sardonically called from the now-flaming doorway. He entered calmly and Marin gasped in surprise.

"Gemini Saga!" She gasped, recognizing the features only partially hidden by the Gemini headpiece.

"Ah, Marin. It's so nice to see you again," the rogue Saint commented, approaching her menacingly. "I was in the neighbourhood, and I thought I'd just…invade. How about a little kiss?" Marin slapped his hand away.

"Impertinent pig!" She snapped.

"Is that a no?" Saga mildly asked, leaning forward.

"I demand you leave immediately!" Saga sighed and walked through the room, looking around in distaste at the simple furnishings.

"So rude!" He pretended to be shocked. "And after I came all this way, just to say hello." He leaned by the fireplace, one foot planted firmly atop Aiolia's Cloth. "Ugh, Sanctuary." He spat the name out with distaste, features curling with disgust. "I tire of Athena and her despicable Saints. Who are _they _to rule Sanctuary?"

One of the servants trembled as he fiddled with the stone cup in his hands. As Saga continued his tirade, he shook violently, finally dropping the cup. The object shattered with a loud crash as it hit the floor, garnering the ex-Saint's attention.

"Silence!" Saga roared. "Let's see…I want blood, and fire. I'd like to have a little party at Sanctuary's expense. I know!" His eyes gleamed madly in the firelight. "I'll even let Saori watch as her beloved Sanctuary burns to the ground."

"You're mad," Marin coldly said.

"So glad you noticed," Saga coolly replied. "I've been working at it for _years_." He smiled cruelly and walked over to the family tapestry. With a quick gesture, he'd ripped the fabric apart. "And you, Lady Marin, will help me."

"In your dreams," snarled Marin.

"I thought you might say that." Saga smirked. "But, you wouldn't want your _son _to be…here, would you?" Two burly men marched in, dragging Seiya between them. Saga laughed as they threw the boy at his feet. Marin gasped in horror.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on him! Leave him out of this!" The two guards had to restrain her forcefully as she tried to run to her son. Seiya glared defiantly up at the renegade Saint as he turned away. Seeing a chance, the brown-haired boy leapt up, grabbed a spear from one of the mercenaries and rushed up behind Saga, intending to stab him. However, at the last possible moment, the Gold Knight whirled around and grabbed the spear, shattering it easily. Seiya turned pale with fright as Saga leaned toward him.

The two were hauled outside, where the other soldiers were waiting. Saga stood at the entrance of the house, shouting to his men. "Years from now, nobody will remember Athena, or her knights. All of this…" Saga swept his hand across. "will be mine!" He smiled cruelly at Marin. "You, Lady Marin, will lead me to Sanctuary, where I intend to kill Athena." Marin turned her head in disgust. "My men will hide in the back of your wagons. You, my dear lady, will sit up front, where Athena's Saints will see you, and they will let us all in."

Marin smiled. "Do you really think that your soldiers will defeat Athena's Saints?"

"Ah, but that's the beauty of it. They won't be _just _soldiers," Saga smiled. "They'll be my mechanical army." Snapping his fingers, he waited for one of the men to approach, bearing a small wooden box. Reaching inside, Saga pulled out a tiny vial filled with some sort of green liquid. "With this, I can fuse weapons to humans." He reached out and grabbed a hapless chicken, sprinkling a few drops on the creature. He grabbed an axe from another of his men and sprinkled a few more drops into the well in the centre of the yard. "Watch," he told his captives before tossing the chicken and the axe into the now-contaminated water. A flash of green light erupted into the night, bringing with it noxious fumes. There was a squawk from the bird and Saga laughed cruelly. Marin and Seiya could only watch in terror.

The chicken flew up from the well, ejected by the hot steam. "Don't you like my little magic trick?" Saga asked, smiling at his captives. The chicken now had an axe blade for a beak, and its whole body was iron grey. Everyone watched, stunned. Turning to his men, Saga proudly walked around the well. "All right, men. Who's first?" The mercenaries muttered, still unsure of this new magic. "Very well," Saga continued. He stepped behind one soldier and kicked him into the well, tossing in a pair of steel spiked balls in after the man. Another burst of light and a towering creature, also iron grey, with two spiked balls for its arms staggered out. Eager to share in this new power, the men slowly moved towards their leader.

Saga laughed once more. "Good, good. Hurry up now, go go go!" He kicked the next man in along with his weapon, ignoring the other behind him. A flash of green light and the Gold Knight looked at the next man, who was holding a pitifully small fork. The blue-haired man sighed. "No, idiot, that's no good! Take this!" He shoved a crossbow into the man's hands and shoved him into the seething green liquid. The two transformed men shot out at the same time, causing awe in the others. Eager enough to forget his task, Seiya's guard moved towards the well, leaving the boy unguarded. Preoccupied with watching his fellows, Marin's guard did not notice anything amiss. The woman saw her chance, made especially easy by the convenient crack in the wall.

"Go to Sanctuary," Marin whispered to her son. "Warn Athena. Take the main road, and get there before us."

"Mother, I—"

"Go!" Marin snapped. "Quickly!" Biting back a sob, Seiya slipped through the crevice and ran for the stables, saddling his horse up and riding out. Marin looked back. "Be safe," she whispered. She watched in fear as the newly-transformed men caroused around the fire, caroused around Saga. The smoke from the well rose into the air, eerily resembling the symbol atop Athena's Staff, the symbol of Sanctuary. Suddenly a few stray tendrils broke the image, looking like snakes, turning upon themselves and leaving Marin with a haunting image burned into her eyes.

"To the wagons!" Saga roared. His men hastened to load the wagons, throwing boxes and all they could find into the first one. After all, it wasn't as though Lady Marin would be coming back, was it? "We ride for Sanctuary!"

Seiya sneaked under the bridge, heading along the narrow ridge. Suddenly a shriek filled the night and he looked up, terrified. Hiding under the stone bridge, he fearfully listened as the great beast landed on the grassy ground. "Ah, my pet," he heard Saga say. "How was the flight?"

"Smooth," the griffin answered. "A little turbulence, but nothing big."

"And the Staff?" Seiya stifled a laugh as the animal's tone changed.

"Erm…"

"Is it here?" Saga eagerly asked.

"There was…a problem," the griffin reluctantly revealed. Saga's eyes flew open and he savagely grabbed the animal by its ruff.

"What?" He hissed into the beaked face. "You've _lost _the Staff of Athena?" He asked incredulously. Seiya's eyes widened as he realized that he still had a chance to find the Staff and return it to its rightful owner.

"I was attacked by a falcon," the griffin hissed.

Saga could not believe his ears. "What? My magnificent beast, outwitted by a puny little _pigeon_?" He glared at the animal.

"It was _not _a pigeon," the creature hissed. "It was a _falcon_. With silver wings."

"Silver wings?" Saga mocked sarcastically. "Oh, how scary." He suddenly grabbed the creature by one long tuft atop its head and yanked savagely, pulling the griffin down to his eye-level. Then he took a deep breath and recomposed himself. "Fine. Where is the Staff now?"

The griffin looked up at its master, eyes cautious. "In a place of untold danger-the Enchanted Forest."

Saga smiled. "Really, now?" He softly asked. "How utterly, magnificently _worthless you are!_" He screamed and brutally yanked out a feather from the griffin's head, causing it to reel back and screech in pain. "Athena's Staff is the only thing that can keep me from fully gaining control over the land!" He walked away in disgust, looking over the land to see Seiya on a horse, riding hard along the road. "The boy!" He screamed. "Get the boy!"

The Gemini Saint hastily returned to camp, where his soldiers were still carousing along with the blade-beaked chicken, which had mysteriously developed the ability to speak. "You, you, you!" He spat, pointing at two soldiers and the chicken. "Find the boy! Bring him back! And you," he turned to the griffin, "are going to lead me to where you _dropped _the Staff."

Seiya rode hard, bursting out of the final gate and galloping along the main road, spurred by fright. Meanwhile, soldiers dragged Marin out even as she said a prayer for her son.

_I pray you'll be my eyes  
and watch him where he goes  
and help him to be wise  
help me to let go.  
Every mother's prayer  
every child knows  
_

Seiya rode hard, cursing when his horse reared up in fear, unwilling to go further along a dangerous path. A roar caught his attention and he knew that he'd been discovered. Desperately he smacked the horse's rump, gasping for breath as it sped off once more. His heart hammering in his ribs, Seiya prayed for a miracle. Little did he know that he'd veered off the path to Sanctuary, and was headed towards the Enchanted Forest instead.

He chanced a look back, only to see that his pursuers were fast gaining on him. The one with a crossbow attached was now close enough to start shooting, and shoot he did. Seiya ducked an arrow, constantly glancing back. A few hit a rotting tree and it soon collapsed in his path, causing the horse to rear up once more. He managed to clear the trunk just in time to avoid the soldiers, fear taking over his mind as he splashed through the river.

_  
Lead him to a place  
Guide him to a place  
Give him strength so he'll be safe  
Lead him to a place  
Guide him with your faith  
Lead him to a place where he'll be safe._

Seiya soon arrived at the entrance to the Enchanted Forest, tendrils of morning fog rising up as though to bar his way. His horse reared up once more, finally throwing him off into the hard dirt track. To the boy's dismay, his mount bolted off and he was left to face the soldiers alone. He stared at the foreboding trees, afraid to go in but knowing that there was no other choice. He mustered up his courage and began to move into the forest, trying not to slip on the smooth stones.

The men stopped as their mounts collapsed of exhaustion. Nevertheless, they merely jumped off and headed into the forest, ignoring the mutated chicken behind them. "Hey," the chicken squalled. "We're not going _in _there, are we?"

One of the soldiers glared at him. "What do you think?"

"But-but I got a wife and two eggs at home!" The hapless animal replied. "You wouldn't make me leave them alone, would you?"

"Chicken," the other snarled in disgust, shaking the smaller creature off before stomping into the woods.

"Hey, don't just leave me here!" The other protested before reluctantly following.

Seiya stumbled through the forest blindly, wanting nothing more than to get away from his pursuers. He staggered through walls of hanging moss, slipped and slid on the smooth, dew-dampened stones and bit back a curse when a tree branch entangled itself in his already short hair. He hurried onwards, looking back to see how far behind the others were.

Taking a short breath, he looked backwards and ran on, only just avoiding the shattered mess that a soldier made of the large stone wall behind. He skidded down a steep, rocky slope and continued running, looking backwards. Unfortunately, he tripped on a stone and fell downwards, landing in a pond with an unceremonious splash.

Choking and spluttering he resurfaced, fighting to untangle himself from what seemed like a fishing net. "Hey!" Another voice called. A tall man entered the clearing. "That's _my _net," he growled. Seiya gaped like an idiot, unable to do anything else.

Just then, the two soldiers crashed into the pond, growling and snarling menacingly. The stranger glanced around as though unsure of what to look at. The pair waded a little further when one snatched up something from the water. It turned out to be the chicken, which he quickly hurled at the stranger. A falcon's cry rent the air and the man dodged the projectile, turning towards the source. A falcon flew towards the soldiers, its silver wings flashing in the dim light as the stranger charged towards them. He expertly caught one a blow on the head, forcing him to crumple into the pond. The soldier's companion turned, only to be struck with a powerful kick that sent him flying. The other soon re-emerged from the pond, but without even turning the newcomer sent him flying into the mouth of a large, tree-like creature that wasted no time in devouring him. Seiya gaped even as the plant belched loudly.

The stranger faced the other soldier now whilst the falcon encircled them. It landed on a nearby vine and cried softly. The stranger swayed lightly whilst the soldier slowly approached, growling all the while. The soldier gave a cry of triumph and raised his axe-hand and suddenly the falcon cried loudly. The newcomer's hand reached behind to yank the vine sharply and without warning, a log swung outwards, catching the soldier and sending him into a whirlpool that had mysteriously appeared out of nowhere. As quickly as it had come, it vanished, taking the soldier with it. With a satisfied smile, the stranger straightened up and nodded.

* * *

How was it? Good? Bad? Thanks for reading! (PS: A review would be great, too!) 


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Disclaimer: I do not own Saint Seiya, and I do not own 'Quest for Camelot'.

Warnings: Haven't we been through this already?

A/N: Ah, the joy of uni apps and Personal Statements.

* * *

Seiya hastily disentangled himself from the net, hopping about in the shallow pond and pushing thick brown hair out of his eyes. He laughed awkwardly. "Um…that was amazing!" He smiled widely. "The way you just…smashed those monsters! How you just avoided that-that thing! You're incredible! You're…" He stopped gesturing to look properly at the stranger, who was staring sadly at the remains of his net.

"Hn?" The other replied.

"Not even listening to me!" Seiya finished indignantly.

"Great," growled the stranger quietly. "It took me six weeks to make this net." Still with his back to Seiya, the man quickly snatched a struggling fish out from the mesh and gripped it.

Seiya looked closely at the newcomer. He had long black hair and was dressed simply in a green tunic and blue breeches. "You saved my life," he earnestly said. "Thank you."

"Well," the other mildly commented, "anyone could make that mistake." He groaned as the fish suddenly slipped out of his hands and nearly jumped when Seiya laughed loudly. Cursing quietly, he heard the fish plop back into the water and gritted his teeth, trying not to show how much the other's voice grated on his nerves.

"Oh, I get it!" Seiya smiled. "This," he gestured to the forest, "is where Athena sends her unfunny jesters, right?" The other couldn't believe his ears. _Does he actually think he's funny?_ He thought irritably, but forced out a laugh out of politeness.

"And now I'll thank you," he turned to Seiya.

"For what?" The other asked, puzzled.

"For reminding me why I'm a hermit! Good day!" With those words, the stranger strode off.

Seiya immediately chased after his rescuer. "Hey, wait! What's your name?" The falcon watched the pair from the trees, reflecting on what Kanon had prophesied long ago and snickering to itself.

"It's Shiryu."

"I'm Seiya!" Seiya cheerfully offered.

"So Shiryu," Seiya ran to catch up with the retreating hermit, "why won't you look at me?" When the other continued walking, he ran faster and looked into his eyes. "Why won't you…?" His eyes widened in realization when he looked at the black-haired man full in the face. "Oh…"

Shiryu hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Oh," Seiya said softly. "I didn't realize you were…"

"What?" The other sharply asked. His lips curved up wryly. "Tall? Rugged? Handsome?" Seiya shook his head.

"Blind…" He offered weakly before realizing how stupid he must sound.

Shiryu turned to look at him. "I _always _forget that one," he sniped. Embarrassment disappeared, only to be replaced by indignation and Seiya immediately ran forward.

Suddenly the falcon returned, flying in circles around Shiryu. Its wings flashed in the sunlight and Seiya remembered what he'd heard from the griffin. "Go away," Shiryu growled at the bird, who seemed to be trying to tell him something.

"Look!" Seiya gasped. "Your falcon has silver wings!"

"Really?" Shiryu did not want to talk to Seiya anymore. "I'll just have to take your word for it, then." He hoped that the sarcastic remark would drive the talkative boy away.

"Sorry!" Seiya hastily apologized and Shiryu turned around once more, irritation in every line of his stance. "You see," he explained. "It means he knows where the Staff is."

The black-haired man sighed and brushed his hair out of his face. Sarcastically, he replied, "Sure he does. In Sanctuary. You know, big castle, lots of flags and stone?" He turned away once more.

"No!" Seiya cried. "It's somewhere in the forest! Gemini Saga has stolen it, and he's keeping my mother hostage! That's why I'm here! I have to find the Staff, or else Sanctuary and my mother are doomed." Shiryu sighed. He felt sorry for Seiya, but did he have to be so…so _loud_?

The falcon squalled more persistently and giving in, Shiryu stretched out a hand, allowing the animal to land on his arm. It chattered on whilst he nodded, frowning as the bird confirmed Seiya's story. "Athena's Staff _is _here?" He asked, still slightly incredulous. The bird nodded once more. "Right," he quickly decided. "We're going after it." He turned to head into the forest.

"Great!" Seiya said, glad that he was part of the group already.

"Not _you_," Shiryu sighed, turning around. Really, did this little pampered noble _have_ to be so pushy? "Me and Shun. We work alone." He held out a hand to stop Seiya from coming any closer.

Seiya snapped. "Well, I see no reason why I can't come along." He glared fiercely at Shiryu. He knocked the hand aside and stalked forward, stopping when he realized that he didn't know the way. Shiryu smiled serenely.

_I know the sound of each rock and stone  
I embrace what others fear  
You are not to roam in this forgotten place  
Just the likes of me are welcome here _

Shiryu crouched down, gently tapping the stone on which he was standing. To Seiya's amazement, the rock began to rise, conveying the hermit upwards to another rocky level of the forest. He looked upwards as though he could see the trees and everything above him, ignoring the brown-haired boy, who had now decided to grab onto a jutting piece of rock and haul himself up.

_Everything breathes  
And I know each breath  
For me it means life  
For others, it's death _

The hermit leapt lightly off the rock and landed on a grassy ledge, moving towards a small waterfall which covered part of the ground, creating a wall of water. Behind him, Seiya shakily followed, praying that he wouldn't fall off the narrow structure. Ignoring the boy, Shiryu gently slid a hand into the water and moved it up, causing the liquid to part and walked through serenely. Not wanting to get too close, Seiya carefully walked through, standing still just as the gap closed and he winced, drenched in the ice-cold water. 

_It's perfectly in balance  
Perfectly planned  
More than enough  
For this man_

Shiryu stood confidently on the roots of an enormous tree, proudly surveying the forest he had come to know so well. He felt the roots shift once more, one wrapping around his waist and depositing him gently on yet another root. He tensed and jumped, landing on yet another root. He walked upwards for a moment and felt himself slide down, landing on the ground that he knew would come. He proudly spread his arms, feeling the comforting aura of the Enchanted Forest surround him. With Shun flying up ahead, he confidently walked forward, back onto solid ground. 

Like every tree  
Stands on it's own  
Reaching for the sky  
I stand alone 

Determined to show Shiryu that he could do just as well, if not better, Seiya leapt onto one of the tree roots. However, the tree immediately sensed his uncertainty and to the brown-haired boy's dismay, he found himself looking into one yellow eye. The root shifted and he yelped, desperately trying to keep his balance. Leaping forward, he barely managed to grasp an overhanging branch and swing himself to relative safety. Pulling himself up onto the ledge, he stared as Shiryu hummed a soft tune into the breeze, the leaf-like grass on the ground swirling around him. Seiya wondered whether there was such thing as an earth spirit, but then reminded himself of the hermit's aloof attitude. 

I share my world  
With no one else  
All by myself  
I stand alone

He held onto the ledge, enjoying the breeze and the leaves swirling around him and nearly fell off when Shiryu suddenly came closer and crouched down, looking at him as though he could see. 

I've seen your world  
With these very eyes  
Don't come any closer  
Don't even try

Shiryu sighed, remembering his childhood days before turning away and continuing. Hauling himself up, Seiya followed at a distance, looking around at the large purple plants that seemed to be unfurling. A large, pink bulb topped the long stem of each one and they moved of their own accord. The brown-haired boy felt a little intimidated even as the hermit strode ahead, walking into yet another pond and stepping onto the rising fountains of water that jetted upwards, propelling him onto another ledge. _Just how many levels does this place have?_ Seiya thought before running to catch up. 

I've felt all the pain  
And heard all the lies  
But in my world there's no  
Compromise  
  
Shiryu was already gone by the time he arrived at the ledge, wet and still a little shaken from being so suddenly pushed upwards. Seiya saw that the man was standing atop a stump that seemed to be moving, Shun following not far behind. 

Like every tree  
Stands on it's own  
Reaching for the sky  
I stand alone

Shiryu smiled as he enjoyed the ride, jumping off the stump and heading for a narrow, steep pathway that one could use as a slide. He immediately jumped and slid down, landing in a small clearing of large yellow flowers, each with huge petals. Walking over to one, he gripped its long stem and felt them moving as the petals began to rotate, bringing the entire plant upwards and him along with it. 

Seiya had no clue what to do. He knew that he had to get on one of the flowers that Shiryu was currently holding onto, but he didn't know which one. Gently tapping an orange flower, he found to his dismay that the plant immediately retreated into the ground, leaving a hole where it had once been. He looked up at the hermit, who was effortlessly balancing on the flower. 

I share my world  
With no one else  
All by myself  
I stand alone

Seiya hastily stepped back as the flower he'd touched began to move, and suddenly it rose from the ground. He quickly latched on and was dragged upwards, yelping in surprise he was dragged through tree branches and finally into the open air. With a quiet sigh of relief, he saw Shiryu standing on a large cliff and quickly let go, clambering up the last few inches of stone. 

All by myself  
I stand alone

All by myself  
I stand alone

Smiling contentedly, Shiryu let Shun rest on his hand once more. He suddenly felt a tug on his boots and turned to look down, only to see Seiya using him as a support to get onto the cliff. _It figures, _he thought a little sourly. 

"I stand alone too," Seiya quickly said as he stood up and brushed himself off. Suddenly Shun took off and landed on the brown-haired boy's arm, chattering as though the other could understand him.

"Shun!" Shiryu felt strangely betrayed.

"I just need your help this once," Seiya quickly hurried on before the other could say anything more.

_I guess there's no hope for it, _an exasperated Shiryu thought. He wasn't in the mood to argue anymore, and this boy really couldn't be that bad if he hadn't already fallen to his doom in the Forest now, had he? He'd deliberately chosen a hard-to-follow route to shake him off, but the noble just wasn't having any of it. "All right, all right," he finally said, turning to continue. "But don't give me any trouble."

Shiryu let Seiya walk ahead, just in case there was anything behind them. He highly doubted the boy was capable of defending himself properly, if the incident at the pond had been anything to go by. Suddenly he was drenched in a cold, slimy substance that had to have come from a plant. "Ugh…" he muttered. "What a fine mess you've got us into in," he growled quietly, shaking the mess off. Up ahead, Seiya was happily shaking the large, hanging yellow plants which contained the liquid.

"This isn't so bad," he cheerily commented. He stepped on a patch of carnivorous grass which immediately reared up in anger, jaws wide and hungry. Shiryu hastily kicked it quiet and groaned. Seiya continued blundering through, waking up the thorns and brambles, chattering whilst Shun flew in front of Shiryu, helping his friend fend off the forest's inhabitants. "I've had more trouble collecting the eggs!" The brown-haired boy didn't notice the hermit at all. Yet another patch of carnivorous grass reared up behind Seiya just as the boy passed by. Shiryu hastily found a rock and tossed it into the creature's mouth, subduing it for the time being.

"Trouble, trouble and more trouble," he grumbled to Shun, who screeched in pity. "Just what I need."

**At the pond:**

A mechanical soldier was suddenly ejected from the depths of the water, wet and miserable. At the same time, the stump regurgitated its victim, finding the food clearly too unpalatable and hard on the digestion. Both soldiers growled and shook their weapons at the scenery, unaware of how ridiculous they looked.

Saga was haranguing the griffin to no end as the creature led him and his band around the Forest. "You wretched mythological moron!" He growled. "Where did you drop the Staff?" He grabbed the creature by the ear, shouting this last question. Instead of being fazed by this rebuke, the griffin took out a monocle and looked through, surveying the surroundings. "Hmm," it commented, "down here it looks so _different_." Tired of the nonsense, Saga ripped the monocle away and tossed it aside irritably. "You worthless beast! How much more useless can you _possibly _get? And since when have you needed a monocle anyway?" Out of nowhere, the mutated chicken suddenly fell into the party's way.

"You! Report!" Saga immediately barked, all thoughts of punishing the griffin now gone.

"Erm, you see, the boy, and, uh, the blind man…uh…" The chicken was clearly distraught. "Um…and a silver winged falcon." Saga smiled whilst his party shuddered; the smile on the man's face did not bode well for anyone.

"Perfect." Turning to his men, he shouted orders. "We're going after them!" With a growl of assent, the monsters followed their leader obediently.

**Sanctuary:**

Capricorn Shura, Sagittarius Aiolos and Aquarius Camus stood in front of the stone from which Athena's Staff had been drawn. "Has there been any news?" Shura asked. Aiolos shook his head sadly.

"They've sent out Saints throughout the land, but none have returned with news." The three Gold Saints bowed their heads in disappointment even as Shura left to return to work.

Inside the castle, other Saints were repairing the ceiling through which the griffin had crashed through. "Come on, men!" Shaina encouraged the rest of the Saints as they hauled a beam of wood upwards. "We must repair this tower before Saga returns!"

Saori sat in her bedroom, Kanon tending to the gaping slash in her arm from the griffin's attack. As the advisor pulled the bandage tightly around her arm, Athena winced. With concern in her eyes, she looked at the blue-haired man. "Have any of the Saints returned? Has Athena's Staff been found?"

"I am afraid not, my lady," the man replied gravely. Staggering to her feet, Saori frowned.

"Perhaps I should go after it myself…"

"No," Kanon said, supporting her gently. "You must regain your strength. Have heart," he smiled as he led her over to the window overlooking the land. "You must have faith in your people."

**Enchanted Forest:**

Seiya wandered through the now-barren and rocky land, happy to follow Shiryu. For once the brown-haired boy was quiet, staring in awe at lands which he had only dreamed of seeing previously. The hermit, on the other hand, savoured the silence. Seiya had not stopped chattering until they had reached this area, and Shiryu was determined to make the most of it. Nevertheless, it wasn't so bad traveling with the noble, he grumpily admitted to himself.

Saga watched from a cliff top, smiling as he saw the two small figures making their way across the land.

Shun flew down once more to shriek a warning to Shiryu from up above. The black-haired man immediately stopped and sniffed the air, crouching down to gently feel the baked dry earth. "What is it?"

"Dragon country," the other whispered. Seiya looked up and saw that the ground was now covered in a green mist. Spires of flame and smoke erupted from fissures in the rocks, and there was a distinct smell of ash and sulphur in the air, but nevertheless they continued. Shiryu walked forward confidently whilst Seiya followed, gawking at the land so different from the ones he'd traveled through. As they climbed up what appeared to be a gigantic skeleton of some long-dead creature, Seiya couldn't help but chatter.

"Are you sure this is dragon country?" He asked. "I mean-shouldn't there be a sign or something?" He laughed nervously. "Hey, it could say, 'Welcome to Dragon Country!'' They continued through with the brown-haired boy keeping up a constant flow of conversation with himself. Shiryu wanted to scream, but gritted his teeth and continued walking, alert for any signs of danger. "Hey, have you ever seen a dragon?" Seiya asked. "I mean, how do you know there are even dragons here? Say, what do you call a group of dragons? A flock? A herd? A gaggle or a pride?"

"Quiet!" Shiryu put out a hand in front of Seiya, his voice low and urgent.

"Do you hear something?" The other anxiously asked.

"No." Shiryu turned forward again. "I just want you to be quiet." Seiya glared.

They moved quietly forwards when a rumbling sound suddenly met their ears. Shiryu, sensing that it was behind him, continued forward whilst Seiya hastily stepped back. Two large fragments of shell landed on the ground in front of him and he winced, looking up. He swallowed hard and carefully stepped around the remains, wondering how much further they had to go. Just as he thought he was well away from the fragments, he stepped in something sticky. Looking down, Seiya cringed at the greenish liquid that seeped out of the egg and shook his foot, hoping that the muck would come off in time. _I wonder if I just killed a baby dragon? _He thought before pushing the thought away.

Shiryu frowned as he felt the ground rumbling beneath him. Hastily sensing that something potentially dangerous was nearby, he quickly jumped into an eggshell and hid, cursing softly when he heard Seiya call loudly.

"Shiryu?" Seiya asked, forcing himself not to panic. "Shiryu? Shiryu! Where are you?" He desperately called, hastily running as a large, dark shadow passed overhead. He stumbled towards an eggshell and was dragged in. Opening his mouth for a yell, he was hastily silenced by the other's hand over his mouth.

"Shh," Shiryu soothed. "Be quiet."

Suddenly Seiya saw two large shadows on the rocky wall, one with a long neck and the other little more than a lump. He gave a cry of shock. "Dragon!" He yelled in panic whilst the hermit tried to locate the creature.

"Dragon?" One of the shadows suddenly said, panicked. "Where? Where?" The shorter lump began to speak and Seiya gave a cry once more, stumbling out of the shell and breaking it in his haste to run away. Shiryu was still looking from side to side, hearing only chaos and screaming. "It's coming from there!" Seiya hastily pointed at the shell next to them, suddenly finding himself staring into a scaly face. He let out a yell and pointed, forgetting that Shiryu couldn't see. "Over there!"

"But…" Seiya paused, unsure of what he was going to say. "You're dragons!"

"Oh, heavens, someone's found our hiding place!" The eggshell said.

"Shaddup, cricket!" There was a thump and a squawk from a clearly disgruntled creature. "Here, let them have some of this." The voice rose to a respectable roar, although Seiya was now unsure of whether to laugh or run. "We are dragons, vicious, fire-breathing dragons!" Shiryu stood tensed and ready for a fight, but slowly relaxed as Shun flew over to comfort him. "Go away before we eat you!" Seiya stared as one blue-grey claw stretched out of the shell and proceeded to make a dragon-head's shadow on the wall, with sound to accompany its opened jaws.

"Oh, great show, that!" The other voice said approvingly. "Here, let me have a go." Another claw sneaked out of the shell and pushed the dragon-head away, replacing it with a bunny.

"Wonderful," The lower voice commented sarcastically. The other claw sneaked out once more and grabbed the 'bunny', throttling it and pulling it down. Shiryu cautiously walked over to the shell and gently tapped it with his hand whilst Shun fearlessly perched on the rim. Suddenly two heads popped out of the shell, one narrow and serpentine and the other round and clumsy.

"Please, don't hurt us!" One of them begged. "We're not going to kill you! We're harmless, really!"

Shiryu growled. "I thought you were big, vicious, fire-breathing dragons." Both heads looked remarkably chastened.

"No, really. The ferocious ones are the big guys out there," The stumpy head said.

"Yeah," The other agreed. "Always picking on us. Calling us names, pushing us around…I hate them!" Shiryu continued to poke, unaware that he was causing the pair a great deal of discomfort.

"Hey, hey, easy with that," The stumpy head said. Shiryu stepped away.

"What are you?" He asked. If his senses were right…

"We-ell," the thin head said. "Frankly, we're the reason cousins don't marry." As he stepped out of the shell, Seiya saw that the two heads were joined onto one body. The dragon suddenly turned to him and the taller head beamed upon seeing a friendly face.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he happily said, waddling over and sticking out a claw for Seiya to shake. "I'm Corinth, and this…_growth_ on my neck is Sparta." Seiya nodded, repressing a giggle from the comical pair. Sparta nodded and made an awkward bow to the brown-haired boy, smiling all the while.

Realising that the danger was past, Shiryu continued through the valley. "Come on, Seiya," he mildly called. "Let's go." With a quick smile at the dragon and a wave, Seiya followed after the hermit.

"Hey!" Sparta called. "Where are you going?"

"To save Sanctuary," Seiya called back.

Corinth's ears immediately pricked up. "Sanctuary? Home to the greatest artists and musicians who ever lived? The restaurants, the theatres…" He drifted off into his fantasy.

"And the pretty actresses," Sparta added, earning himself a glare.

"And the dragons…" Just as Corinth said so, an ominous roar sounded from above. Both dragons stared at each other in shock. "The dragons!" The two-headed dragon immediately jumped and rushed forward just as a jet of flame spewed from the creature up above. Seiya, turning back and seeing the fire leaping over the rocks, hastily grabbed Shiryu's hand and dragged him forward, praying that they would not be killed. Behind them came Corinth and Sparta, hollering as the flames singed them.

The hermit and the noble were soon overtaken by the dragon, who raced forward to a pool of what appeared to be steaming green liquid with a number of bobbing white stones leading to the other side. "Wait!" Seiya cried. "What is that stuff?"

The dragon used the stones as steps as it rushed to the other side. "Don't worry," Corinth called. "It's perfectly safe!" Seiya and Shiryu stopped at the edge of the pool, unsure of how to proceed. The hermit quickly found a twig lying on the ground and dipped it into the liquid. The dead wood came back up, charred and blackened from where it had dipped into the liquid.

"Safe?" Shiryu questioned sardonically. Seiya leapt forward, trying to drag the other with him, but was forced to leave the older man behind as he tried to balance on the stones, which wobbled and shifted precariously.

"So long as you don't step in it," Sparta replied. Luckily for Shiryu, Shun swooped down to guide him along the stones. The black-haired man awkwardly hopped from one to the other, praying that he didn't lose his balance or miss the next stone altogether. Behind him, the shape of the fast-approaching dragon loomed, roaring in fury, now accompanied by yet another black dragon. Caught off guard, Shiryu felt himself falling backwards and desperately tried to regain his balance, thankful that Shun was now behind him and pushing hard.

"Hurry, hurry!" Seiya urged, watching Shiryu proceed with anxiety.

"You think this is easy?" Shiryu growled in irritation, just as one dragon unleashed a jet of flame right behind him. He jumped onto the next stone and gave a cry of surprise as the creature, now infuriated, thrashed its tail into the liquid and sent a swell through the pond. Somehow managing to keep his balance, Shiryu felt himself flying forward and landing on the ground. He felt hands-Seiya's, probably-pulling him upwards and he staggered to his feet, running forward clumsily. Now there were three dragons chasing the group, with the two-headed dragon in front. Behind them, the ground shuddered and crumbled as scorching hot flames seared the earth.

By some twist of fortune, they found themselves in a small dip, with a number of what appeared to be man-sized burrows leading downwards. The dragons were getting closer and one breathed out a jet of flame, temporarily obscuring the land in smoke. As it cleared, Seiya made out a dark shape coming closer. "It's another dragon!" Sparta hollered.

"No, it's not…" Seiya squinted at the feathery wings, and then he realized. "It's a griffin!" Saga and his men appeared out of the distance, growling and rattling along. "And Saga!"

Seiya looked around desperately. The dragons were coming towards the tiny valley, whilst Saga and his men approached along the other pathway. "In here!" Corinth snapped before heaving his bulk through the hole. Shun screeched in agreement and soon they all found themselves falling downwards.

The dragons skidded to a halt just in front of Saga's men, one coming to rest directly in front of the Gemini Saint. The blue-haired man slowly backed away, trying to find an escape but seeing none. As the dragon came closer, Saga closed his eyes and wished that he had a smarter band of mercenaries, who would have at least kept Seiya around. The thing opened its mouth, revealing a set of long, dangerously sharp fangs and breathing its foul breath into the man's face, and Saga smashed his fist into the creature's face with all his might. _What a wonderful day, _he thought irritably.

The tunnel echoed with screams and shouts as the group fell out into a small rocky chamber, with Seiya landing on top of the dragon and Shun flying out unharmed. Just as the brown-haired boy staggered to his feet, Shiryu shot out of the tunnel and landed on Seiya, both of them groaning. Seiya looked around. "Are you sure we're safe down here?" He asked the dragons.

"We're safer down here than it is up there," Sparta replied. Hopping around, Corinth attempted to extract a splinter of rock from his tail, flicking the offending object away and inadvertently hitting Shiryu in the head, causing the other to collapse again. "We've been bullied by those dragons since we were two hundred years old!" Sparta continued to mumble.

"Were we ever that young?" Corinth dramatically asked, holding a claw to his chest and looking skywards.

Sparta sighed in impatience. "Of course we were, you moron."

"I am not a moron," The other snapped back.

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

Shiryu growled as he got to his feet. "With the way you bicker, I'm surprised you haven't friend each other." Both heads looked equally shocked.

"Fry?" Corinth asked. "We can't even simmer." He coughed out a small puff of smoke to emphasise his point.

"Yeah," Sparta agreed. "You see, unlike most dragons, he can't even breathe fire or fly. Sad, really."

Corinth scowled at this perceived insult. "Well, excuse _me_, Mr. Self-Denial, but _we _can't breathe fire or fly."

"Only because you're holding me back! If I didn't have you, I'd be doing a lot of things!" Seiya stared at the two dragons, unable to hold back a snicker as they launched into song, accompanied by matching actions and remarkably in tune with each other.

"I'd be rocking with the dinos  
Swinging with the rhinos  
I'd de-dragonize this cave in a minute  
"Sparta," they would sing  
'Cause I would be the dragon king  
I would love this world without you in it!  
If I didn't have you!"

"If you didn't have me?" Corinth broke in.

"If I didn't have you!" Sparta growled.

"Well, how about if I didn't have you, huh?"

"Oh, what I could be if there was only me!  
Oh, what I'd do if I didn't have you!"

Seiya hastily tried to calm the pair down. "Stop bickering and get your act together!"

"Act?" Corinth suddenly asked. "Did someone say act? I can act!  
If only I had separate parts  
My career would be the arts  
I'd be the star of Sanctuary…"  
"You'd be the half that the whole world forgot!  
If I didn't have you!"

"I should be so lucky!" Sniped Sparta.

"If I didn't have you!" Insisted Corinth.

"Oh, wait! You'd be dead!"

"Oh, what I could be if there was only me!  
Oh, what I'd do if I didn't have you!  
Oh, what I'd do if I didn't have you!" Both sang.

"Trapped! Aah! Trapped!"

"Stuck here with you for 500 years!"

"Oh dear, it's learned to count." Corinth looked upwards as though praying for patience.

"If you'd got me a good lawyer I would have split 400 years ago."

"Now, listen here, pal! I didn't come here to be insulted!"

"Oh? Where do you usually go?"

Corinth sighed and returned to his fantasies. "I'd be a fire-breathing lizard!"

"I'd be one high-flying wizard!" Retorted Sparta.

"You'd be nothing without me! You'd be extinct! You'd cease to be!" Corinth shot back.

"I'm so tired of your nagging!"

"And I'm so tired of your bragging!"

"Without me you'd have no brain. . ."

". . . with which to think!" They both sang in unison.

They returned to their respective wishes, singing in counterpoint. Seiya was busy watching whilst Shiryu dusted himself off and wished that the horrifying noise would just stop. It had been a long time since he had had to contend with a large number of people in one echo-y cave.

"I'd be rocking with the dinos,  
Swinging with the rhinos…" Sang Sparta.

"If only I had separate parts,  
My career would be the arts…" Corinth nearly bawled.

"I would love this world without you in it!  
If I didn't have you!"

"This way! Let me lead!" Corinth hummed as he imagined trying to teach Sparta how to dance, dragging him all around the dance floor.

"No, this way, twinkletoes!" Sparta imagined throwing Corinth's separate body over a cliff.

"Life could be so sweet if these were both my feet!  
What I'd do if I didn't have you!"

Seiya clapped politely as the two finished their song and turned to head down further into the tunnel. "Come on, Shiryu!" The dragon followed behind him, Sparta making crude jokes. Shiryu followed just behind, relying on Shun to guide him through the cave.

Twenty minutes' walk later, they found themselves atop a cliff with a view of the entire land. Shun hastily warned Shiryu not to walk over the edge, whilst the hermit breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at the rest of the group. "Well, the good news is, we're out of dragon country. The bad news is," He looked at Corinth and Sparta. "this is where we say goodbye."

Corinth immediately protested. "But you can't leave us here! If we try to go back, we'll be banished! Ostracised! Exiled!" His head drooped at the very thought.

"Not to mention kicked out," Sparta added as they headed back into the cave.

Seiya felt truly sorry for the dragon. "Why?" He asked.

"We just broke the dragons' golden rule," Sparta sighed.

"What, never wear brown shoes with a suit?" Corinth piped up.

Sparta smacked his counterpart. "Idiot. Never help a human."

They were interrupted by Shun and Shiryu. "Come on, Seiya," Shiryu said. "We must make camp before dark."

"Oh, camp," leered Sparta as he looked at his other head.

"Shiryu, let's take them with us," Seiya begged. "Please." Shiryu wanted to scream, but he didn't think that he could say no after hearing that tone in the brown-haired boy's voice.

"Oh…I suppose…" He grudgingly agreed. Then he whirled around to glare at the dragons. "But no more singing!" They began to make their way down the slope, Shiryu at the front and the dragon behind them.

"So how do you feel about interpretive dance?" The irrepressible Corinth asked. Shiryu did not deign to respond.

**Saga:**

They had stopped to eat, roasting the dragon that Saga had successfully managed to knock out. The mutated chicken balanced the first plate of freshly roasted meat on its head and ran up to the Gemini Saint, who was sitting with the griffin. "Dragon a la King," The animal squawked. Saga grabbed the chunk of meat and bit into, eating quickly and neatly. With an intimidated laugh, the chicken backed away.

Saga sighed and began to speak, although it wasn't clear as to whom the words were addressed to. "Now," he mildly commented, "I am reduced to chasing a blind man, a little girl, a mutant dragon and a _pigeon_." The griffin, which had been drooling at the thought of food, stopped with a guilty look on its beaked face. "Find them all," growled Saga, tossing the remains of the meat into the air, "and report back to me." The griffin deftly caught the dragon meat in one claw and began to eat, surprisingly daintily for such a savage-looking creature. "Do you hear me?" He barked. The griffin glanced downwards.

"Sorry, Master," it sheepishly replied. "My mouth was full." Saga sighed.

"Typical. Out of all the evil creatures in the world, I have to find one with table manners." Behind him, the gigantic creature took off. "And no mistakes, d'you hear?" He yelled after the griffin. He looked down and noticed the axe-headed chicken. "You!' He barked. "Go meet up with the group heading for Sanctuary and tell them we'll meet up as soon as we've got Excalibur!" The chicken scuttled off. He smiled, imagining the day Sanctuary would be his.

The smell of roasting meat drifted downwards, soon reaching the noses of the two dragons. "I'm starving," grumbled Sparta. "All this heroic stuff has really worked up my appetite." He grinned at the smell of the meat. "Hey, something smells delicious!" For once, Corinth couldn't agree more.

They soon arrived in a small clearing, where Shiryu decided that pressing on would not be a good idea. "Well, here's where stop for the night," He announced.

"Stop?" Seiya questioned. "But what about Athena's Staff?"

Shiryu sighed. "No one travels in the Enchanted Forest after dark," he pointed out.

Seiya glared. "Well, my father, Leo Aiolia, would have!" Shiryu stiffened at the name, but Seiya was too wrapped up in himself to see the other's reaction.

Meanwhile, Corinth and Sparta were rubbing two twigs together, desperately trying to make a fire. "Come on, light my fire," Sparta repeated as he desperately tried to create a spark. Corinth impatiently grabbed the stick and looked pityingly at the other head. "You flame-retarded dragon," he wryly told the other as he tried to make a fire.

Unable to control his temper, Sparta interrupted the other. "Hey, Corinth! You made fire!" The other looked down hopefully. "Nope, my mistake," The chubby head commented. "Just hot air." Corinth was about to stab the other with the twig when it suddenly squealed and wriggled out of his hand. As though on cue, the pile of 'twigs' that the dragon had gathered all rose and rushed off into the woods. The two heads stared at each other in bewilderment before taking off after their escaping 'woodpile'.

"Seiya, I must tell you something." The brown-haired boy looked at him, confused. Shiryu had never actually initiated anything remotely close to a conversation even though they had traveled with each other for two days now, and suddenly he wanted to say something other than 'Quiet'? "I knew your father." Seiya's eyes widened. "I used to live in Sanctuary. I was a stable boy there, but I dreamed of one day becoming a Saint. One evening, there was a fire. I rushed to save the horses, but…well, I was hurt." Shiryu paused, remembering the horse that had reared up in panic, kicking him in the face and causing him to fall to the ground. "At first, all I could see were shapes. Then shadows. And finally, darkness. After I lost my sight, your father was one of the two Saints who still believed in me. In fact, he introduced me to Libra Dohko, who took over my training. But it was your father who taught me that a Saint's strength lies in his heart, and that his loyalty must lie with Sanctuary, and Athena. Any hope that I had of becoming a Saint died with him."

Seiya felt embarrassed at the way he'd thought of Shiryu as a coward for not wanting to travel through the Forest at night. "I'm sure he wouldn't want you to give up," he finally said. "I felt that way too," he quietly said. "But I know that he wouldn't want me to give up either, and I know that he's always behind me. You're as good as any Saint, Shiryu."

Shiryu didn't turn around. "You think so?" Seiya smiled, knowing that the hermit could probably sense it, even f he couldn't see.

**Corinth and Sparta:**

The twig scuttled deeper into the forest, giggling madly at the lumbering dragon wadding behind. "Hey, you little thing! Get back here!" Sparta growled as he chased the animal around a clearing, going in circles. It chattered unintelligibly, but both heads knew that it was laughing at them, only fuelling their ire. They skidded to a halt when they heard Shun, perched safely atop a hanging vine and laughing at them. Sparta immediately headed over, determined to stop the feathered creature from laughing ever again. Besides, falcon was supposed to be quite a delicacy, wasn't it? "Hey, birdie. I got three words for you: Dinner is served!" Shun gave a cry of surprise, but was too slow as he was snatched up by the dragon and shoved unceremoniously into Sparta's mouth. Smiling in satisfaction, the shorter head relaxed when he noticed that Corinth had suddenly begun to twitch. A lump suddenly made its way up the other head's neck, and Shun flew out of Corinth's mouth with a cry of indignation.

* * *

Thanks for reading, and see you soon! 


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